Bracket Busters: Winthrop Intends to Honor Late De'Andre Adams With Deep Tournament Run

On May 12, 20-year-old De'Andre Adams was driving home from a pick-up game, through a thunderstorm. He swerved to try to miss a fallen tree when the vehicle he was driving flipped and rolled into a tree. He was placed in a drug-induced coma and a ventilator before passing away late May the 16th.

Although he was not an integral part of the team, he did play in all 65 of Winthrop's games, and he showed signs of developing further.

A fan favorite with an energetic personality, he made an impact averaging 2.1 points per game and 2.8 assists, leading Head Coach Randy Peele to say in the press release, "His memory will be cherished and the spirit and energy he brought to the basketball court will be remembered always. He wore No. 24 on his jersey, but he was No. 1 in our hearts."

In his memory, the Winthrop basketball team will take the floor against fourth seeded Washington State as they have all season long, wearing a black 24 patch on their jerseys.

Recently, the De'Andre Adams Memorial Scholarship Fund hit its goal and has awarded a scholarship in his honor.

If you are looking for a team to slide into the Sweet Sixteen, look no further. A team that upset Notre Dame last year in the first round. With a 6-1 record on neutral courts, 22-11 overall, the team is almost identical again this year, and they are poised to potentially be this year's bracket buster.